Archives for 2016

Kilkerran / 12 Year Old Single Malt

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Campletown.
Distillery: Glengyle.
Unit: 70cl.
ABV: 46%
Age: 12 Year Old.
The Kilkerran Work in Progress Series was completed with the release of WIP 7 sherry and WIP 7 bourbon in 2015. The current Kilkerran bottling is a 12 year old Kilkerran Single Malt. This is the first core release for Glengyle distillery since it re-opened in 2004 and is available now. It’s been a long wait, 12 years but worth it.
Nose: oak notes are dominant, followed by toasted marshmallows and dried fruit pudding, as well as cherries, marzipan and a hint of peat.
Palate: initially fruity with citrus notes and orange peel, after this: vanilla, butterscotch, honeycomb and digestive biscuits can all be tasted and enjoyed.
Finish: velvet and smooth with lemon meringue, to conclude, there’s an oiliness and a saltiness that you’d expect from a Campbeltown dram.

Glendronach / Batch 14 / 13 Year Old Cask # 4034

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Highlands.
Distillery: Glendronach.
Unit: 70cl.
Alc: 52.5%
Age: 13 Year Old.
Distilled: 07/02/2003
Bottled: September 2016
Outrun: 696 individually numbered bottles.
Cask Type: Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon.
Appearance: Golden mahogany.
Nose: Crisp oak spice surrounds rich, stewed orchard fruits, with a combination of dark molasses and clean citrus peel’.
Palate: Mellow hints of vanilla pod flow through rich prune syrup, candied peel and toasted spices, adding warmth to the sweet sherried character and long finish.

Benromach / Hermitage Wood Finish2007

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside.
Distillery: Benromach.
ABV: 45%
Unit: 70cl
Distilled/Bottled: 2007/2016
Age: 9 Year Old.
Cask Type: Ex Hermitage.
Pour yourself a dram… as the whisky slips into your glass, observe its rich ruby red colour imparted by oak casks that once nurtured wine from the Hermitage Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, in the northern Rhône region of France, famed for the Syrah grape.
Lift your glass and take in the AROMA WITHOUT WATER. Swirl your dram around and enjoy those scents of summer… sweet summer fruits, refreshing red apples, and zesty lemon and lime. A touch of vanilla emerges and cinnamon notes develop, underlined by a touch of peat smoke and a peppermint edge.
Now take a sip. The TASTE WITHOUT WATER is sweet and bursting with intense fruit… succulent dark cherry and orange, sharper kiwi and gooseberry… and these combine wonderfully with creamy milk chocolate and a gentle smoky edge.
Now enjoy the AROMA WITH WATER… nose your dram and you may detect lime and grapefruit at first, with hints of delicious toasted malt and sweet vanilla with eucalyptus notes in the background.
Take a sip and savour the TASTE WITH WATER… at first it’s gently spicy, quickly followed by sweet raspberry and tangerine flavours, and hints of almonds complementing the underlying peat smoke edge. The finish is gloriously long and fruity with a hint of smoke. 

BenRiach / 22 Year Old Moscatel Finish

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland / Speyside.
ABV: 46%
Unit: 70cl
Colour: Rich gold mahogany.
Nose: A full, sumptuous nose consisting of dark orange marmalade, rich fig syrup and sweet dates. A dusting of cocoa and cinnamon followed by a gentle a hint of garden mint adds a luxurious character.
Taste: Rich, velvety dark chocolate fondant topped with glazed maraschino cherries develops to plum cordial and spiced honey. The long finish is rounded with a gentle, earthy balance of nutmeg, stewed barley and old vintage leather.
Finish: A rich body laden with dark Mediterranean fruits and a complementary balance of warm spices and delicate oak characters.